Tractor.



M. E. RUZE.

TRACTOR. APPLICATION FiLED OCTLII. 191.1.

Patented May 7,

S H E E 2 SHEETS IN V EN TOR Maxim L. Haze I'Vl YYVESS A TTORNE Y5.

M. E. HOZE.

moron.

APPLICATION FILED [JCT-H.151]- Patented May 7,1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR. Martin 15'. .Roze BY c? A TTOR NE YS.

W I TNESS beams are MARTIN E. ROZE, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

TRACTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1918.

Application filed October 11, 1917. Serial No. 195,907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known, that I, MARTIN E. Rozn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stockton, in the county of San Joaquin and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tractors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a tractor of the self-laying track type and particularly to the track construction and mounting.

One of the objects of the present invention,

is to provide a novel form of self-laying track, and in conjunction therewith a truck, a driving sprocket, and an. idler to support and drive the track. Another object of the invention is to provide a pair of intermediateidlers each provided with shoes engageable with the track, said shoes adapted to carry the load ofthe tractor to relieve the link pins in the track of the shearing strains of the load and also to permit a free rocking movement of each link in the track. F urther objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combination of parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 1s a side elevation partly broken away, showing the general arrangement of the track and the truck and idlers supportin the same. I

Tig. 2 is a plan view partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a cross section of the track, showing the position of the intermediate sdpportin idlers.

Tteferring to the drawings in detail, A indicates the main frame of a tractor, 2 a transmission case to which power is delivered from an internal combustion engine or other suitable source, and 3 indicates a drive shaft to which the power is delivered. This drive shaft extends crosswise of thetransmission case and its ends are extended sulficiently far to straddle a bearing bracket indicated at 4. The present drawings illustrate one side of the tractor only, and as the sides are duplicates of each other it is obvious that two bearing brackets, such as shown at 4, are provided, one being positioned on each side of the transmission case.

Pivotally mounted on the shaft 3, within the bracket 4, is a truck frame which consists of a pair of channel beams 5. These secured together by three shafts, such as shown at 6, 7 and 8. The'shafts are rigidly secured in bearing brackets and serve two functions: First, they maintain the beams 5 interspaced and rigid with relation to each other and, second, they serve us supports for idlers, generally shown at 9, 10 and 11. These idlers are turnably mounted on the shafts and are provided for the purpose of supporting the endless track 12.

Secured on the shaft 3, in uliueincnt with the idlers 9, l0 and 11, is a driving sprocket This sprocket transmits power to drive the chain track, while the idlers, as previously described, merely serve as a support for the same. The foremost idler 9 is drumshaped While the idlers 10 and 11 consist of two separate flanged sections 10 and 11; the flanged sections 10 of the idler 10 being set sufliciently close together to pass between the flanged sections 11 of the idler 11 (see Figs. 2 and 3). Pivotally mounted, as at 14, in the flanged sections of the idlers 10 and 11 is a plurality of shoes 15, and formed on the inner faces of the links forming the track are track pads 16. These pads are arranged one on each side of the main links 17, and as the flanged sections of the idlers are widely separated, the shoes carried by the sections 10 will engage the inner sides of the track pads, as shown at 18, while the shoes carried by the sections 11 will engage the outer sides of the track ads, as shown at 19. The whole weight of the tractor is in this manner carried by the intermediate idlers and the shoes 15, thereby relieving the pins connecting the links of the track from the shearing load of the tractor and at the same time permitting a free rocking movement of each link in the track. The weight of the tractor is, furthermore, more evenly distributed as it is not only supported by the idler 11 but also by the idler 10, said load being in turn distributed to the shoes which are widely separated and free to rock about their pivotal points when certain undulations in the road surface are encountered.

The truck as a whole is permitted to pivot upon the drive shaft 3, but this pivotal movement is limited to a certain extent by springs 20 which are interposed between the forward end of the truck and the main frame A, a guide rod 21 being provided for the purpose of securing the truck against lateral movement. The construction of the individual links from which the track is tell-mediate idlers positioned between the built up may be varied, but I wish it understood that the inner faces of the shoes carried by the links must in all instances he provided with track pods, such as shown at 16, as these are essential to serve as a support for the shoes 15 and also to relieve the link-pins of the shearing strain or weight of the tractor, the only Wear to which the link pins are subjected being the pull of the track.

The most important feature of the pres- (-nt invention is the rovision of the intermediate idlers lOiaind 11, together with the construction of same which permits an even distribution. of the load and a free rocking movement of the links in the track. The exact mounting oithe truck frame, together with the spring support and other de tails of construction, may be varied without Clfipttltlng from the spirit of the present invention.

I also wish it understood that the mate rials and finish of the several parts compris ing the truck, idlers and truck may he such AS the experience and judgment of the main ufaeturer may dictate.

Havingthus described my invention, What i claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat out is- 1. In a vehicle of the self laying track type, it supportin truck mechanism for the main frame inelut ing a roller having shoes arranged to support the track.

2. In a; vehicle of the sefdeying trac type, a truelr i 31116" :1 driving; sprocket an idler jmirnaled in the imme, an endwe. truck carried by said sprocket and idler, an intermediate idler, and 21 plurality of shoes on said idler adapted to engage the track.

3. In a vehicle of the self-laying track type, a truck frame a driving sprocket and on idler journaled in the frame, an endless track carried by said sprocket and idlen an intermediate idler. and a plurality of pivot ally mounted shoes on said idler adapted to enga e the track.

4. n a vehicle oil. the seltl-(iying truck type, a truck frame, it driving sprocket and an idler jonrnaled in the frame an endless track carried by said sprocket, pair of indriving sprocket and the first named and a lurality of shoes pirotzdly a l; to the intermediate idlers adapted to e the track and carry the tractor.

5. In a vehiele W eight of an idler jouru-dml in the frunnn :li'. endless lI'iLUk nzlli'lwl by said spi'ouket, u pair of internmlinlv idler: positioned l-eiuc'mi the drivii s i'o ln-t mu! :m; 'lli-v Uflt d idler, at pluinlit of shoes pivotully attz lied to the intermediniv Idlers atta ned to engage the l'lii llt Jind marry the Weight oi the truetor, undypmh on the inlet; adapted to receive the shoes.

6. In a which oi type, a truck frame, u an idler join-.nolml n the ii'mne, an. endless track curried h en ti rilll't'l lli l and idler, an interu'iediute idles" i plurality of ljlYfllttlly mounted Show on avid idler adu ued to engage the track, and l; on the tree}: adapt ed to receive the sin;

7. In a vehioie oi; the s-klt' liu 'mzjt lame-k type a. tr in}: frmxw. v. driving; a l)" l-n-t and an idler hounded in the "trz in mi e truck earl." r-Il l at dorm t, 3; 0? internu'dinithe self-laying track driving sprocket and 1 between the, 1 m ii t nomad idler, L F WlU'XHPQU E Annular than a? mod the W hm s-warcmtly ww v t other idlerv m s pifiHitAlly vi amin d i sihoes- {a Hille vu'is utu R U}. l lill lrt to strziddli' and a plurulizy to the iiimges oi ed to ei'igege the oi: the tract Jl" ty pan :1;

t9; A pair between Lei med driving spree: said idlers h of inter-spa llmig' in Si plmuht lhuiges ti engir the tweeter a: i receive th y-Pfy 7 Mini e on the trflcK mid -ted to and mid she-s nihim to 59th. one ful engage sides of the pads hi e: *he hoes on idler \vi 4mg; i hat 0i have he. 1 

